THE HILL DANCE ACADEMY THEATRE IS CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2025.
Ayisha Morgan-Lee began the organization in 2005
by Renee P. Aldrich
For New Pittsburgh Courier
Ayisha Morgan-Lee began dancing at the age of 3, and was 16 and a junior in high school when she started a program called, “Dance on the Hill.” She started it in conjunction with her mother’s work as Director of Hill College, a program out of Carlow University.
“We would hold dance classes on the Hill and had performances at Carlow University on Saturdays,” Morgan-Lee recalled.
From this early activity, she knew she wanted to open a school for dance when she completed her education.
“I knew I was going to do it, I just wasn’t sure what it would look like,” she told the New Pittsburgh Courier.
She entered Howard University and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts and dance. She understood that she wanted to create a space in Pittsburgh where Black and brown students could learn dance and what they needed to do professionally to be on the concert stage.
HDAT PERFORMS DURING A SPRING DANCE CONCERT AFTERNOON MATINEE, APRIL 27. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
“If it was their desire, I wanted to see my students become professional dancers, who have seen other students and instructors that look like them—which was not always the case for me,” Morgan-Lee shared.
Thus, the early seeds for the Hill Dance Academy Theatre (HDAT) were planted.
While still a student at Howard, Morgan-Lee became aware that learning about the business side of running a dance school would be essential if she were to have a successful endeavor. “As a dance student, every summer we visited different summer dance intensives; what I found was that they had wonderful work, but were lacking in everything else they needed. They weren’t getting the funding they needed, weren’t able to pay dancers and sustain themselves in general, they did not have enough people to work in the capacities they needed…they had great art, but did not have the resources for all those other things. I realized I needed to get a master’s degree in arts management so that when I did start my school, I would understand that part of it.”
HDAT FOUNDER AYISHA MORGAN-LEE, ED.D., PRESENTS A HDAT 2025 SCHOLARSHIP.
Subsequently, she returned to Pittsburgh and enrolled at Carnegie Mellon University for a master’s degree. Thus, HDAT was born, and in 2025, it’s now celebrating its 20th year in operation.
During these 20 years, HDAT has had many accomplishments. They have increased student enrollment, built a diverse staff (including former students), and added a unique and innovative curriculum. Additionally, after having to hold classes at various schools in the Hill District, utilizing space in City of Pittsburgh recreation centers, and sharing space at Grace Memorial Presbyterian Church while Rev. Johnnie Monroe was the sitting pastor, in 2010 they were invited to utilize the space inside 2900 Bedford Avenue, the former St. Benedict the Moor Catholic School, as their permanent space.
Morgan-Lee, in a conversation with the Courier, said that “these opportunities came about as a result of building relationships within the community—which also led to us being invited to this space.”
HDAT classrooms were moved into the second floor of the building, which, according to Father Carmin D’Amico, was going to be abandoned. And Dr. Yinka Aganga-Williams, executive director of AJAPO, a program which helps refugees and immigrants get settled in this country, had the first floor. In August 2021, HDAT was finally given the opportunity to purchase the entire property—29,000 square feet of space, including the main building, convent and rectory.
The main building is now called the “Morgan-Lee Arts Center,” and since HDAT took over ownership, the first floor has been allocated as leased spaces for “entrepreneurial artists,” tenants with whom they have had partnerships in the past.
“I committed that when HDAT got a permanent space, they will have one, too,” Morgan-Lee told the Courier. Those people include Celeta Hickman, Edo Scribes and Pleasantries; Shaunda McDill with Damaskus Theater; Tamara Howard with Folk Art Quilt; Saihou Njie (Makatari Visual Arts Studios); Breonna Rice with Breezy Elements; and Akeem Lowman with Pittsburgh Capoeira Ase.
THE HILL DANCE ACADEMY THEATRE TURNS 20 THIS YEAR, 2025. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)
The 20th-year celebration of HDAT continued from April 25-27 when Ronald K. Brown, of the dance company Evidence came to Pittsburgh and choreographed HDAT’s Spring Concert; and at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, HDAT dancers were featured in a production called “One Shot,” a tribute to Teenie Harris, the famed former Courier photographer.
The party’s not over, however. An additional summer celebration will be a Hill Dance Fest and naming of the campus buildings, slated for August 1-3. There will be an award night on that Friday, Aug. 1, a dance and arts festival on that Saturday, Aug. 2, and on Sunday the third, a family movie night showing movies that represent the Hill District.
Near the end of this year, there will be an Anniversary Gala and Awards evening on Oct. 11. And from Dec. 5-7, there will be the HDAT Holiday Musical about the Hill District, written by artist Kim El, and will also include other local Pittsburgh production artists.
Morgan-Lee, who has been honored with both the Courier’s Fab 40 and Women of Excellence awards, started HDAT when she was just 21 years old. Speaking about it today, she’s very excited about what the future holds for the organization. It’s a future that includes renovation of the second-floor dance studios, which will include a rest area and lounge space for students as well as one for faculty and staff. There’s talk of an addition of an elevator in the main building, and the intention to turn the attic into a Black Box Theater.
“The Black Box Theater space is intended to be sure our community can enjoy theater without spending an arm and a leg,” Morgan-Lee said.
The Hill Dance Academy Theatre is fully entrenched into Pittsburgh’s history. Twenty years in the books, with many more to come.
“I’ve been dancing since I was 3 years old, and while on my dance journey, I’ve seen many different places, dance academies, schools, and dance companies and I have dreamed about what I wanted my space to look like, and how I wanted our dancers to feel when they enter our space,” Morgan-Lee told the Courier. “When they spend most of their time here, it should feel like home.”